Mechanical feeder



March 24, 1959 w. A. CHANEY ETAL 2,878,962

MECHANICAL FEEDER Filed Aug. 5, 1955 :s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS. WILLIAM A. GHANEY n N LESTER (Z. GARRETT I WALTER L. BYRD March 24, 1959 A. c| -|AN|::Y ET AL- 2,878,962

MECHANICAL FEEDER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 5, 1955 XNVENTORS.

March 24, 1959 w. A. CHANEY ET AL 2,878,962

MECHANICAL FEEDER Filed Aug. 5, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent MECHANICAL FEEDER William A. Chaney, Lester C. Garrett, and Walter L.

Byrd, Reidsville, N.C., assignors to The American Tobacco Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application August 5, 1955, Serial No. 526,727

4 Claims. (Cl. 221-175) This invention relates to an automatic feeding device to deliver sticks on which bundles of tobacco are supported during redryiug to the hanging and blending conveyor where the bundles are placed on the sticks.

In a tobacco redryiug plant the moisture content of newly purchased cigarette tobacco is accurately adjusted prior to storage of the tobacco for ageing. As the tobacco is received in hogsheads from the auctions or sales, its moisture content varies. If it were placed in storage under such conditions, a product of varying characteristics would result. The tobacco is therefore passed through a redrying machine. In such machine it is first dried, then cooled to remove heat absorbed during drying and then moistened to a desired moisture content which will permit handling the tobacco and is also suitable for ageing. The tobacco is then replaced in the hogsheads and stored for the desired period for ageing prior to its use in the manufacture of cigarettes. The stored tobacco is thus of uniform moisture content and after ageing, a uniform product is obtained.

In passing through the redryiug machine the tobacco is supported on sticks which extend across the machine, the sticks being supported by conveyor chains at each side. These sticks may be formed of wood or metal and are of a length slightly greater than the distance between the two chains of the redrying machine conveyor. The tobacco is supported from them in bundles in which it is received, each bundle consisting of ten to fourteen leaves secured to each other at their butt ends by wrapping another leaf around them. These bundles are placed on the sticks with some of the leaves on each side, and they are thus retained on the stick in a hanging position.

In front of each redryiug machine, a hanging and blending conveyor is arranged. This conveyor consists of a single chain on which the sticks are arranged longitudinally. As the sticks travel along this conveyor, attendants standing beside it lift the bundles of tobacco from hogsheads and place them on the sticks. As a number of operators will remove bundles from different hogsheads, each from one nearest to him, a certain amount of blending of the tobacco is thus accomplished. At the-end of the hanging and blending conveyor an operator lifts the stick containing the bundles from theconveyor and places it on the conveyor of the redrying machine.

At the outlet end of the redryiug machine, an operator takes the stick from the conveyor, places the bundles of tobacco in a hogshead, and places the stick on another conveyor to return it to the inlet end of the hanging and blending conveyor. According to present practicethe sticks are removed manually from this conveyor and placed on the hanging and blending conveyor, and the cycle repeated;

In the present invention we provide mechanism to automatically deliver the sticks from the return conveyor tov the hanging and blending conveyor. The return conveyor is modified to deliver them tov a hopper which.

feeds the sticks into a magazine, the magazine being of suitable length and cross-section to receive a stick and being of a height which permits a plurality of sticks to be arranged in the magazine in vertical alignment or stacked one on top of another. The bottom of the magazine is open but the sticks are normally prevented from moving downwardly by a pair of selector wheels arranged with their peripheries just below the bottom of the magazine.

The selector wheels are provided with spaced notches, and when a pair of notches are aligned with the bottom of the magazine, the bottom stick in the magazine drops into, the notches. The selector wheels travel with a step by step movement and deliver the sticks from the selector Wheels to the hanging and blending conveyor. Step by step movement of the shaft on which the selector wheels are mounted may be accomplished in any suitable manner. We preferably control the operation of such means by a suitable electric switch actuated by the sticks fed to the hanging and blending conveyor. 1

In the accompanying drawings we have shown one embodiment of the invention. In this showing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the inlet end of a hanging and blending conveyor showing the invention applied;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of a pair of such conveyors, as they are generally arranged in pairs, showing the stick feeder; v

Fig. 3 is a vertical, sectional View on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detailed, sectional view on line 4--4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a detailed, sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 1, showing the control switches, one for each feeder; and

Fig. 6 is a detailed, sectional view on line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings the hanging and blending conveyor consists of an endless chain 1 which travels on a suitable bed or table 2 and passes over a plurality of guide rolls 3. In Fig. l we have shown a portion of such conveyor at the inlet end or the end where the sticks are placed on the chain. The conveyor extends an ap preciable distance toward the redrying machine and the sticks are placed on the chain 1 extending longitudinally thereof. As the present invention is related solely to the feed of the sticks to the hanging and blending conveyor, the entire length of the conveyor and the redrying machine are not illustrated. Hanging and blending conveyors are generally arranged in pairs between a pair of redrying machines and the operators stand on the outsides of them to place the bundles of tobacco on the sticks.. We have accordingly so illustrated a pair of conveyors and a pair of stick feeders in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings.

The sticks are returned from the outlet end of the redrying machine on a belt conveyor '4. The position of this conveyor with respect to the hanging and blending conveyor is shown in Fig. 1. The belt 4 is preferably sup ported on a track or platform 5 during its operative flight and on a similar platform 6 on its return flight. A magazine 7 is arranged between the conveyors 1 and 4, the conveyor 4 being elevated a suitable distance above conveyor 1 for this purpose. The magazine consists of a pair of side walls 8 spaced from each other a distance slightly greater than the width or thickness of a stick."

I The sticks are generally square in cross-section of a size. suitable for handling and of suflicient strength to supportthe bundles of tobacco and withstand rough handling.

with end walls 9. The magazine is thus open at the top and bottom.

A hopper 10 is arranged above the magazine and the return conveyor 4 passes through the hopper. Means are provided to remove the sticks S from the return conveyor and feed them into the hopper. As shown, track 5 is provided with side walls 11 and 12, the inner wall 12 terminating where the track enters the hopper. A deflector 13 (see Fig. 4) is secured to the outer wall 11. The inner face 14 of the deflector extends across the conveyor belt 4 at an angle as shown. The engagement of the side of the stick S with face 14 of the deflector causes the stick to be displaced laterally until it reaches a point where it falls from the conveyor through hopper into the magazine. The dimensions of the magazine are such that the sticks extend longitudinally of it and are stacked on each other, as shown in Fig. 3.

Beneath the magazine, we provide a shaft 15. On this shaft are mounted a pair of selector wheels 16 which limit the downward movement of the sticks in the magazine and also feed them, at proper times, to the conveyor 1, the shaft being driven with a step by step movement for this purpose. The selector wheels are arranged on the shaft a distance from each other less than the length of a stick so that each wheel will engage the stick adjacent one end. As shown, the wheels are provided with a plurality of notches 17 which receive the sticks. As the selector wheels rotate clock-wise in Fig. 3, a stick received in the notch immediately below the magazine moves from the bottom of the pile of sticks. As it does, the next stick falls on to the flat surfaces 18 of the two selector wheels and then into the next pair of notches 17. The parts are so positioned that removal of one stick from the bottom of the pile permits the next one to be fed to the wheel and into the next pair of notches with no disturbance of the stacked arrangement of the sticks above the lower one, they merely feeding down through the magazine until they are delivered to the selector wheel. A pair of curved plates 19 are arranged beside the selector wheels to prevent accidental displacement of the sticks in the notches of the wheels.

As the portion of the selector wheels reach a position where a given pair of notches 17 are at the bottom of the wheel, they pass beyond the plates 19 and over the conveyor 1. The stick falls, by gravity, on to the conveyor. Side walls 20 may be arranged beside the conveyor at the point to prevent the impetus of the fall from the selectors causing the stick to fall from the conveyor 1. The step by step movement of the selector wheel shaft is controlled by the feed of the sticks. A control switch 21 is arranged near the path of conveyor 1, at a point adjacent the end of the magazine. This switch is controlled by a pivoted lever 22 which projects upwardly beside, and partly over, the conveyor 1. As a stick falls on to the conveyor, it engages lever 22 and moves it to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 5, opening the switches. The lever remains in this position until the rear end of the stick passes it.

Switches 21 control a solenoid 23 which, in turn, controls a valve 24 in air line 25. Line 25 delivers air to the cylinder 26. A piston in the cylinder is connected to the piston rod 27 and the end of link 28 surrounds shaft 15 on which the selector wheels are mounted. Ratchet wheel 29 is keyed to the shaft 15 adjacent link 28. A pawl 30 is pivoted to link 28 and is adapted to engage ratchet teeth 31 of ratchet wheel 29. Spring 32 is connected to the pawl beyond its pivot and to link 28 to bias the tooth 33 of the pawl to operative position.

A brake member 34 may be anchored as at 35 to a part of the frame of the machine. It extends over a wheel 36 on shaft 15 and has its other end connected to a spring 37. The function of the brake is to prevent overrunning of the shaft 15 and the selector wheels. When two hanging and blending conveyors are arranged between a pair of redrying machines, as they generally are 4 and as is illustrated in the drawings, the shaft of one may be driven from the shaft of the other in any suitable manner as by chain 38 passing over sprockets 39 on the two shafts.

The operation of the device will be apparent from the foregoing description. The operator at the outlet end of the redrying machine lifts a stick from the conveyor, holds it over a hogshead and permits the bundles of tobacco to slide off the stick into the hogshead. The stick is then placed on the return conveyor 4. At the end of that conveyor, deflector 13 forces it from the conveyor into hopper 10. Thence it falls into magazine 7 on top of any sticks that may be in the magazine. The stick at the bottom of the magazine is received in the notches 17 of the pair of selector wheels arranged below the magazine. The magazines are preferably of a size to hold a number of sticks so that operation of the mechanism will not be unduly interrupted or disturbed. As actually built, we have used magazines holding thirtytwo sticks each.

Assuming the feeding mechanism to be in operation, the right side of the selector wheels in Fig. 3 of the drawings will contain sticks, the sticks being held against displacement by plates 8. As the shaft is indexed and the stick in the pair of notches at the bottom of the wheels drops on to the conveyor, it moves lever 22 to the dotted line position (Fig. 5) and opens air valve 24, allowing the piston in air cylinder 26 to return to the bottom of the cylinder. As link 28 moves counterclockwise, pawl 30 moves over the next ratchet tooth 31. Stick S moves along conveyor 1 and as its end passes lever 22, the lever returns to the full line position. This energizes solenoid 23, and sets air valve 24 to deliver air to the bottom of the cylinder. The upward movement of piston rod 2'7 moves link 28 clockwise, and pawl 30, in engagement with a ratchet tooth 31, turns the ratchet wheel 29 and shaft 15 to index the shaft one movement and thus deliver another stick to the conveyor. As stated, the two shafts 15 are connected by a chain and sprockets to drive the second one from the first. We also provide a switch 21 for each conveyor and connect them in the circuit of valve 24 so that unless a stick is fed to each conveyor, the indexing mechanism will be inoperative.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for handling sticks on which bundles of tobacco are supported in passing through a re-drying machine comprising a conveyor consisting of an endless belt on which the sticks are placed during its operative flight, the sticks extending longitudinally of the conveyor, a second conveyor comprising an endless belt arranged beneath the first conveyor, and having its operative flight extending in the opposite direction, a magazine open at the top and bottom arranged between the conveyors, the magazine comprising side walls separated from each other a distance slightly greater than the width of the sticks and end walls spaced from each other a distance slightly greater than the length of the sticks, whereby sticks delivered to the top of the magazine from the first conveyor will be stacked in the magazine, means for delivering sticks from the first conveyor to the magazine, and means for delivering sticks singly from the bottom of the magazine to the second conveyor and arranging the sticks on the second conveyor extending longitudinally thereof.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which a hopper is arranged at the top of the magazine and means the magazine and means for imparting a step by step movement to the shaft.

5 4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 3 in which the 913,018 step by step movement of the shaft is controlled by 3 2,443,376 switch actuated by delivery of a stick to the conveyor.

References Cited in the tile of this patent is 317,491

UNITED STATES PATENTS 857,427 Waldron June 18. 1907 882,671

6 Lawrence Feb. 23, 1909 Case June 15, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain May 29, 1930 France Apr. 25, 1914 Germany Jan. 10, 1952 Germany July 9, 1953 

